Improvement in water-elevators



CHARLES HOUGHTON.

Improvement in Water Elevators.- N0.124,209. PatentedMarch 5, 1872.

Seclon en xx naanoo a n @Luna n CHARLES HOUGHTON, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATERELEVATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 124,209, dated March 5, 1872.

To all uhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES HoUGnroN, or Boston, in the county of Suii'olk a-nd State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Water-Elevators 5 and I do hereby declare that the following', taken in connection with the drawing which accompanies and forms part ot' this speciiication, is' a description ot' my invention sufficient to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

a denotes a hollow and tight receptacle, alternately for water and steam, said receptacle being preferably made in the form ot' an elongated cylinder, of any suitable material, and of a size and length adapted to the amount of water to be raised, and the steam, which can be produced in the same generator, hereinafter mentioned. Its length should be proportioned to its diameter, about as nine to one. It must be ot' sufficient strength to sustain without injury several times the pressure of the column ot' water to be raised. b 'is the inletpipe, which conducts the water to be raised from the well or cistern into the upper part of the cylinder c. Vithin the cylinder this pipe should be perforated, so as not to hold waterwhen there is none in the cylinder around it. In this inlet-pipe, just below or at the bottom ofthe cylinder a, l place a box or tra-p, or make a bend in the pipe, as shown at a. This will be more fully described hereafter. cis a valve in the inlet-pipe, below the cylinder af, the valve being made, for greater certainty ot' operation, with two gates and gate-seats, the gates operatin g independently ot. each other. A leakage at this valve would stop the action ot' the apparatus, but with the double-gated valve it is made very certain that no leakage can 0c-' cur. All the valves Aused in this elevator, hereinafter described, are made, preferably, with dJuble gates and seats, for the reason stated. The gates in the valve c open upward, to admit the tlow of water from the well through the inlet-pipe b, and close by .their own gravity when water ceases to flow upward, thus preventing the water above the valve from iiowin g back to the well or cistern. d is the outlet-pipe, from near the bottom of the cylinder a, to the top, or near the top of the injection-chamber e, conducting the water raised into the injectionchamber, and also conducting steam, (as hereinafter described,) when all the water in the cylinder a above its outlet-pipe, has passed up.

This pipe should be of suitable material, (preferably metal not easily softened by heat,) and of inside diameter sufiicient to allow the water to iiow without much friction, and as rapidly as it is desirable to deliver it into the tank above. The outlet-pipe f is taken from the lower part of the injection-chamber c, (leaving space enough between it and the.bottom of `the injection-chamber to contain as much waterl as is needed for the supply to the steamgenerator, and to condense the steam in the cylinder a,) and thence is continued to the tank where the water is to be stored. This continuation of the outlet-pipe from the injection-chamber is marked f. The injection-chamber c is a hollow tight vessel, of copper or other suitable material, of about one-quarter the inside capacity ot' the cylinder c, above, and, preferably, directly over which it is placed, it being intended to contain a portion of air in its upper part, while its lower part will usually contain water. At times, both the air and water maybe displaced by steam. Into the upper part of the chamber c the outlet-pipe l (from the cylinder a) discharges water and steam alternately. From the bottom of the chamber c a water-pipe is taken, which pipe, in case the steam-generator is supplied from this chamber, conducts water to it, and also to the cylinder c for condensation, as hereinafter described. This chamber I call the injectionchamber, its purpose being' to retain water sufficient for the supply ot' the steam-generator, and to condense the steam in the cylinder a at the proper time, the steam from the cylinder a entering' it through the outlet-pipe d, and combining with, and by its heat expanding, the air which will accumulate there, liberating the water and aiding, and, to some eX- tent, i'orcin g the water in its descent and entrance into the steam-generator and cylinder. The continuation f ot' the outlet-pipe taken from the chamber c, and a little way from the bottom, and thence leading where the water raised is to be stored for use, is made of any suitable material, and any desirable size, and contains a valve, g. This valve 'g in the outlet-pipe is a double-gated and double-seated valve, placed at any convenient point between the injection-chamber c and the tank where the water is to be delivered, its purpose being to prevent anyv returnvot' the water which has once passed it, and to prevent the ingress of air, also, through the pipef. h is the steampipe leading from the steam-generator m to the top ot and into the cylinder a., and ot' suitable size and strength to conduct steam from the generator. In a small elevator for house use, three-eighths to one-half inch diameter will be more satisfactory than a. larger pipe. iis a water-pipe (of about the same size as the steam-pipe just described) for conducting water from the injection-chamber e to the cylinder a, for the purpose ot' condensing the steam in the cylinder when it has driven all the water out to and through the injection-chamber e. It is taken from the bottom of the injectionchalnber and carried downward some distance, preferably below the bottom of the cylinder u, and thence turned upward and entered into the c vlinder a at or near its top. When the supply of water for the steamgenerator is taken from the injection-chamber, this condense water is preferably taken from the water-supply pipe, as shown in Fig. 2. The doublegated and double-seated valve j is placed in the condense-water pipe, in its upward turn, opening upward and toward its opening into the cylinder a. Its purpose is to prevent the "water or steam from the cylinder a. from passing through this pipe toward the in iection-chamber or steamgenerator. la is the water-supl'ily pipe, its purpose being to supply the steam-generator m with water, intermittently, between the movements of the water from the cylinder a, upward, to replenish what has been evaporated. In Figure l this pipe is shown as taken from the bot-tom of the cylinder a; thence carried downward some distance, as may be convenient for the insertion ofthe valves described; thence horizontally toward the steam-generator; thence perpendicnlarly to and into it. In the perpendicular parts of this water-supply pipe are placed the valves l and lf, as described. In this adaptation ot' the water-suppl y pipe, it is desirable that it should be somewhat larger when it is taken from the injection-chamber, being preferably one and a half to two inches in diameter.

In large-sized elevators, I deem this arrangement preferable to the other' described; but for ordinary house use, this water-supply pipe may, and probably should, generally be taken from the injection-chamber e, as shown in Fig. 2. From thence it will be carried down some distance below the level ot' the bottom ot' the steam-generator m, thence horizontally toward it, and thence perpendicularly to and into the bottom or lower part of it.

Z is a valve in the perpendicular part ot' the water-supply-pipe, next to and entering into the steam-generator, the valve being doublegated and opening upward toward the opening into the steam genera-tor, and closing downward by its own gravity when water ceases to iiow past it. Its purpose is to prevent thepassage of water or steam from the steamgenerator through the watersupply pipe k toward the cylinder a., or the injectionsage ot' water or steam from thc cylinder a through the pipe 7c to the steam-generator, cxcfpt intermittently, at the periods when it is necessary to replenish the water in the steamgenerator. At such time it is opened by its connection with the pan o, which will be hereinafter described, and its operation explained. The 'gates ot' this valve are connected to each other by a chain or its equivalent, arranged with a little slack between them, so tha-t when the upper gate is raised it will ascend a little distance, say one-sixteenth ot' an inch, before the lower gate moves to follow it.

The steam-generator m is made ot' metal of suitable strength and tenacity, and ot such inside capacity t'or water as may be sufficient to generate steam to expel all the water from the cylinder a, without converting more than onethird to one-halt' the water in it into steam. rIhe form of this steam-generator is not important, beyond its adaptation to creating steam with a mode ate expenditure ot t'uel.

It' the elevator is to be operated by a tire for cooking or other purposes, the generator is so shaped as to perform its own work withoutintertering with or impeding the other operations carried on by the tire. In a cookingrange, the ordinary hot-water back, in many cases, may be used for a. generator. For this apparatus, when it is so used, the usual hotwater boiler must be detached from it and con nected with a pipe running through the lirepot in front ot' the hot-water back, and returning back close up under the top plate of the range or stove. A three-quarter inch pipe used in this Yay will heat the water in the boiler satisfactorily. Experience has shown that it is not advisable, though it is possible to heat the water in the hot-water boiler, and operate the elevator by the same generator or heater.

ois a metallic pan pivotcd and balanced by the lever p and connection q, connecting it with the valve l. When the water in the c vlinder descends past the pan o, water remains in the pan, and its weight overbalanccs the weight ot' the lever p, connection q, and valve l', and it descends with the water in the cylinder and raises the valves l from their seats, and opens a passage for the water from the cylinder through the pipe 7c, to supply the steam-generator. The water in the c vlinder being higher than in the generator, and the pressure ofthe steam being the same in both, the water finds its level and fills the steamgenerator. When the cylinder is filled again from the well, the lever j), connection q, and valves Z', heilig heavier than the pan o when immersed in water, the valve-gates Z descend again by their own gravity and close the passage.

Fie. 3 is a top view (enlarged) of the cylinder a, water-pan o, inlet-pipe b, lever p, Watersupply pipe k, and valve l. n is a trap in the inlet-pipe, made by putting in a box, or by a bend in the pipe, its purpose being to keep a body of water in the pipe at all times to prevent the escape of steam from the cylinder a, down the inlet-pipe, in ease the valves should leak and let the water out of the cylinder a. In such case, if the leak was not discovered, and the lire was kept up, the elevator would cease to operate, and the water in the steamgenerator and the injection-chamber would be, after a while, all converted into steam, and pass down the pipe b, and there condense and run down to the well or cistern.. Then the steam-generator would be burned and destroyed. But, with this arrangement, if the valve leaks and all the water in the cylinder runs down, there will still be left water inthe steamgenerator and the injection-chamber, and as fast as this is converted into steam-it being prevented by water in the trap n from going down the inlet-pipe-the steam will go up the outlet-pipeinto theinjection-chamber, and will be condensed there and return through the water suppl y-pipe to the steam-generator, so that the waterin the generator would not be exhausted or diminished, even though a' re should be kept up for several days, when the elevator was takin g up no water from below, the steamgenerator bein g thus preserved; whereas without this device, it would certainly be burned out in a very short time. r is a safety-valve, which may be placed upon the steam-generator or steam-pipe, and weighted sufliciently to re main closed against all the Ordinar i operations of the elevator; but to open, if, by any accident or cause whatever, the outlet-pipe shoiiibld become obstructed, in such case yielding and opening before the parts of the elevator would be broken or injured by pressure of steam. Frost in the outlet-pipe might produce an explosion if the safety-valve were not employed. s is a cock, to admit air into the steam-pipe, if it should at any time be desirable to do so. Said cock extends downward from the under side ofthe highest part of the steam-pipe, and contains a plug by which it canbe closed entirely, and a valve opening upward, and in the end a plug, which is pierced with a very iiue hole. lt will be perceived that, if the cock be left open when steam is condensed in the cylinder the air will go through the openingA in the plug and till the steam-pipe with air, and, perhaps, extend into the cylinder. This arrangement ofthe air-cock with the checkvalve placed beneath the pipe and opening upward, is shown in section in Fig. 4. t is an arrangement of a funnel-pipe and cock on the top of the injection-chamber, for the purpose of introducing water to start the apparatus.

The whole apparatus, being constructed as described and made perfectly tight, and strong enough to be durable, operates as follows: To start it, enough water is introduced into the in jection-ch am ber to ll or nearly iill the steamgenerator, and it is not necessaryto ll any of the other parts, although it is well enough to do so if it is perfectly convenient. The steam-generator being filled with water, or nearly so-the cylinder and pipes containing air only-steam is generated and passes along the pipe h to the cylinder a, and expels the air it contains up through the outlet-pipe d, and then from the injection-chamber up through the outlet-pipe f. When the steam has expelled all the air, and is passing freely up the pipe f, past the valve g, the Water, which up to this time, has remained in the water-supply pipe and condense-pipe and in jectiorrchaniber, if any was left there, will flow through the water-supply pipe k, and enter the steam-gener- A ator, cooling that and the water in it, operating as a steam cut-oft', and instantly, after {iowing through the condense-pipe 1'-, it will con-A dense the steam in the cylinder a, and, producing a vacuum, cause a tlow of water from the well or cistern to lill it. The rst operai tion will not always fill t-he cylinder quite full of water, but a few operations will do so or nearly so. In the ordinary operation of this apparatus, there will at all times be a small quantity of air in the top of the cylinder a an d in the top of the injection-chamber, and this will gradually accumulate from the air introduced with the water, and unless discharged, might, in a little while, ll the cylinder; but, when the accumulation of air becomes too great, so as to occupy a space equal to a quarter ot the cylinder, or thereabouts, it discharges and clears itself of air by its own operation. After the first operation, as described, the steam generated acts directly against the water in the cylinder without any intermediate, except the layer of air which 'will always be therein a larger or smaller quantity, and pressing against the surface forces it up the outlet-pipe d into the injectioirchamber e, iilling that as full as the air in the upper part of it will permit it to be filled with water. When the air inthe injection-chamber is compressed in the top ofthe chamber, as much as the Weight of the column of water above it will compress it, then water fioivs into the tank where it is to be stored, and each operation will deposit a uniform quantity there, equal to the contents of the cylinder a, less the amount necessary to replenish the steam-generator and start the condensation in the cylinder a. \Vhen the steam has expelled the water from the cylinder a it follows it up the outlet-pipe d, to and into the top of the injection-chamber c, and mingling with the air Y there, heats and consequently expands it, liberating the water in the chamber, and, in fact, forcin g it-although it might tlow by its own gravity-through the water supply-pipe into the steam-generator, stopping the generation of steam and replenishin g the water evaporated from it.` As soon as the generation of steam has ceased, in fact, simultaneously with it, the water from the injection chamber e, liows through the condense water-pipe, and falling into the steam in the cylinder a coudenses it, producing a vacuum, and the cylinder is again filled from the well. If any more air is desirable in the apparatus than is brought in with the water, it can be admitted at pleasure, by opening the cock The tire being kept up so as to produce steam, the operation ot' the apparatus will continue, as described, and will cease only when the lire goes down. It more water is raised than the tank above will contain, a wastepipe must be provided to return the surplus to the source from which it was taken, or otherwise dispose ot' it. In case the outlet-pipe should become obstructed by frost or otherwise, the saietyvalve 1' will be weighted so as to open before any breakage of the steamgenerator cylinder, or any ot' the connecting pipes will take place. In case of leak in the valve ot' the inlet-pipe, so that the water in the cylinder falls back, there will still remain a portion ot' the waterin the air-chamber and steamgcnerator, which will be converted into steam, and as the water in the device a will prevent the steam going down the inlet-pipe, and con (lensing there, and then escaping it will ascend to the injection-chamber and be condensed there, and thence return to the steamgenera-tor, again to be rcconverted into steam, and again circulate, thus maintaining in the steam-generator a sufcient supply ot water to prevent its bein gburned out, or to save it from cracking when an additional supply ot' cold water is introduced. The diiiiculty which has heretofore existed in the liabilityT of the steamgenerator to get empty,in consequence ot'leakage ot' valves, and when empty to be burned out, or get hot and crack, when water lowed in again, is by the arrangement of parts here described, wholly obviated. It' there should be no air in the upper part of the injectionchamber, the steam passing up the outlet-pipe d will alone liberate the water, and cause its low through the water-supply and condensepipes.

I claiml. In a water-elevator, operating substantially as described, the water-pipe extending from the bottom ofthe cylinder, or near it, to the steamgenerator, when provided with a self-acting valve, arranged to y permit ilow of water from the cylinder to the generator, and to prevent return thereof.

2. The pan o, lever p, and connection q, as described, or a lioat operating to open and close the valve or cock l, substantially as described.

3. The double-gated and double-seated valves, arranged as described, in combination with an automatic water-elevator mechanism.

4. The cock s, for admitting air whena vacuum is wholly or partially formedin the apparatus, when combined with a check'valve opening inwardly to prevent outward iiow from the apparatus when cock s is open.

5. The safety-valve r, in combination with an automatic waterelevator, as and for the purpose set forth, when the same is made automatic, in the manner described, and the steam-generator is replenished with water automatically and intermittently, as described.

(5. The arrangement of the injection-clmmber e with an automatic steam water-elevator andits steanrgenerator, water-supply, and conde11se-pipes,wl1en the same is made to operate automatically, in the manner described," to cut ott' steam in and replenish the water evaporated from the steam-generator, and to inject water into the cylinder to condense steam therein.

7. In combination with the cylinder a ot' a water-elevator, the t ap or bend described, located below the valve c, and arranged to op erate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

GHS. HOUGHTON. Witnesses:

FRANCIS GoULD, M. W. FRo'rHrNGHAM. 

